Battle of Inchon

The Battle of Inchon (15-19 September 1950) was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that saw a United Nations invasion force of 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels surprise the Korean People's Army and deliver a shattering defeat to them. Inchon was a turning point in the early stages of the war, as the North Koreans were forced to retreat for the first time, ending a string of victories.

In the months following the start of the Korean War, North Korean forces pushed the US and South Korean armies back into the Pusan Perimeter in the south of the peninsula, overrunning the South Korean capital of Seoul. The UN forces managed to hold off several fierce North Korean assaults against the perimeter, and the UN general Douglas MacArthur planned a massive counterattack against the North Korean forces. A large invasion fleet would launch an amphibious invasion of South Korea far from the Pusan Perimeter, thereby cutting off the North Korean forces in the south and closing their supply lines. From 10 to 15 September, the fleet bombarded Wolmido and Inchon, with the city of Inchon being largely undefended. From 15 to 19 September, the landings took place, with MacArthur leading a risky assault over extremely unfavorable terrain. Due to American-spread disinformation, the North Korean high command was expecting an invasion at Gunsan instead, and the UN invaders took the KPA forces by surprise. The UN forces succeeded in extinguishing the North Korean resistance, allowing for supplies and reinforcements to be brought into Korea through the Inchon beachhead. Soon after, the Pusan Perimeter forces broke out from their encirclement to join the Inchon landing force, and the combined UN forces would go on to push on Seoul.